For those of you who get over 1500 miles of flat free miles. When you finally *do* get a flat, ruling out a worn tire...what's your best technique for the tube(s)? Do you...

A. Replace both tubes to rule out the wear factor?
B. Toss just the flated tube?
C, Or just patch?

Any other tips?

I carry a spare tube so I can get under way as quickly as possible (I always flat in the middle of my commute) then patch the tube at home. Tread wear should really have no effect on your tubes - unless you've managed to skid a hole right through the tire casing. DanO

Assuming I didn't flat due to tire wear, I just toss the flatted tube. If I flatted due to tire wear, I replace both tires and both tubes.

I never patch. Takes too long and tubes are cheap if you buy them in bulk when they go on sale. ~$3 per tube.

Replace with spare tube. Patch old tube at home/work. Use old one as spare.
I replace tubes when patches overlap, the hole is near the valve, or the valve breaks.

You must live in the land of soft things. If I replaced tubes every time they went flat - even at $3 each - I'd make the National debt look small.

On the other hand

Rema Tiptop patches at Loose Screws: $14.85/100
Rema glue: 5g (about enough for 25 tubes): $2.90

Total cost per tube repair: $0.26

I have to take the tube out anyway so why not just fix it. It only takes about 5 minutes.

i keep buying new tubes and keeping the flat ones in a big pile. someday i'll get around to patching them.

I'll give you $5 for your pile of tubes. :-D

My old specialized hemispheres got 3800 miles on it with a flat and a giant gash. Same tube, just patched it.

I am usually too lazy to patch. I too keep my tubes in a pile. I use them in my garden to tie up plants. I also heard you could use them for stretching exercises. Haven't tried that yet.

I just replace the tube because my patch jobs never seem to hold up, but normally I don't do flats.

Well, not usually. I was riding to work about 6 months ago, and just happened to think to myself, "Myself, it's been maybe 6 years since you've had a flat tire! I guess the thorn-resistent tubes and tire liners are doing their jobs! Probably the only way you'd get a flat, Myself, is if, through some freak of nature, you got punctured through the sidewall."

Jinx. Less than ONE MILE LATER I ran over a broken off jack-knife blade with my front tire, which caused it to jump up and dance around, until my rear tire got to it, at which time it launched itself (you guessed it) right through the sidewall.

Since then I've decided to think only happy thoughts when I'm riding.

Park pre-glued Super Patch! Quick, easy, no fuss, no muss, back on the road in no time, and the tube of glue NEVER DRIES OUT!!! 6 patches in a case about the size of a quarter.

I'm thinking this is like a set of car lights. When one finallly burns out, the outer is not far behind. So the tube itself doesn't eventually wear thin from wear against the tire itself?

1500 miles without a flat?? Most people ride outdoors.

Carry spare tube + patchkit. Patch tube after we get home.
On a tour/extended ride carry 2 spare tubes. Our record is 11 flats in one week . . . too much road construction in the area.
If you don't ride, you don't get flats.

NYC, 3800 miles, 2 flats, lots of glass, broken bottles, nails, sheet metal.

The short answer is no, assuming the tube is installed properly. If the liner (around the inside of the rim)is in place so that no spoke ends are contacting the tube, and the air valve comes out of the rim perpendicular to it instead of at an angle, you should have no problems with the tube wearing.

I roll Armadillos. Sure, they're heavy and have terrible rolling resistance but I've had more tires than flats.

And I'll patch at least once.

Yeah! Deal with it!

Usually the tube is still good so I just patch it, it's the cheapest way to go and the patchs (I use glueless patches) last for the life of the tube. I have a tube on my road bike now that is 5 years old and has 4 patches on it and the tube is still in good condition-these are 65grm ultralight Specialize Turbo tubes in case your thinking they must be the thick hairy ones! I replace the tube when damage to the tube is unrepairable, or the stem got screwed up-one of these things happens to me before the tube rubber becomes brittle or cracked.

If you look up cheap in the dictionary, there's my picture. I patch, and keep my tires filled with Slime. Slime also makes it fairly easy to find the puncture. I've had tubes I've patched 5 times or more, and I hardly ever get flats, so, yeah, I roll on tubes for years sometimes. I ride a lot commuting over rough roads, and I'm a big guy. It just seems like some folks are prone to getting lots of flats, or they just don't pay attention to where theyre rolling. On tours I take really old tubes, split em down the middle and use them as tire liners. Works well. Cyclings only as expensive as you make it...

Three patch and the tube is history after. I ussually only recieve two flats a year on my road bike and I have tuffy glued onto my tires.

I've been carrying a patch kit and dealing with each puncture as they come. About... three? months ago I had a major blow-out: I got a flat in a brand new tube because there was a nice hole in the tire from some previous puncture. I patched it, and didn't have my CO2 inflator cartridges... so I used the automotive inflator. B-L-A-M!! Nine inch gash in the tube. *sigh* I think I wrote about this someplace... anyhow, that night I ordered tires that were anti-puncture, and got Nashbar tubes pre-loaded with slime and touted as self-healing. Knock wood, no new punctures yet!

I haven't had a flat all year. Make sure you keep your pressure up.

I've never patched a tube in my life. I just replace them.

I always patch unless the puncture is near the valve, I hate throwing things away.

I haven't had a puncture in a year now, but just saying that means I better be prepared tonight!

I usually patch after I get home, but it depends on what I've done to the tube. I've had some memorable episodes over the years, where I've totally destroyed the tube -- one particular blowout back in 2000 at 47km/h was memorable. However, if I'm on the road, I'll just change the tube, and save the patching until I'm in my garage. I'll keep the patches and glue with me just incase.

Also, when you're a long time between flats, it's also important to check your spares every so often. When I broke my 15,773km run last time out, my spare tube had been sitting in my saddlebag for some ridiculous amount of time and actually had a nasty crack in it. Needless to say, I was glad I had the patches that day.